Ranking
An editorial ranking of restaurants, cafés and bars: grades from A+ to F, price range, and the Tabelog score where one exists.
Places ranked: 2,446
Tokyo · Bar
A high-end standing izakaya in Ginza, serving refined small plates like its famous karasumi soba. It offers a chance to experience top-tier Japanese cooking in an intimate, counter-style setting at a more accessible price point than a full-course…
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Hyōgo · Pizzeria
A celebrated pizzeria in Kobe's Yamamotodori district, serving authentic Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-fired oven. Visitors come for the exceptional crust and high-quality toppings, often cited as some of the best outside Italy.
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Kyoto · Casual Dining
A tiny, counter-only spot in Kyoto serving a unique style of biryani infused with Japanese dashi. Go for the signature sea-bream dashi chicken biryani, but be prepared for queues and potentially brusque service.
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Yamanashi · Dessert Shop
Daigahara Kinseiken Honten (台ヶ原金精軒 本店) is a wagashi maker in an 1852 inn building in Daigahara, Hakushu, Yamanashi. It is the home of mizu shingen mochi, a 'water cake' that has to be eaten on the spot.
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Fukuoka · Casual Dining
A celebrated, halal-certified Pakistani restaurant in Fukuoka's Maizuru district. It's famed for its fragrant chicken biryani and enormous, pillowy naan, making it a top choice for authentic South Asian cuisine.
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Hokkaido · Casual Dining
Gyoza Suguruya (餃子 すぐるや) is a tiny counter in Susukino, Sapporo, on the ground floor of the New Koraku Building. A former sweets maker folds each gyoza to order, including a molten curry gyoza.
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Okinawa · Steakhouse
Tarama Gyuu Doug's Grill Miyakojima honten (多良間牛 ダグズ・グリル 宮古島本店) is a steakhouse in Hirara on Miyakojima. It specialises in rare Tarama island wagyu, grilled as a whole block and carved at the table.
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Osaka · Fine Dining
A century-old sukiyaki house in Osaka's Higashishinsaibashi district, Kita Mura (北むら) offers a classic experience with beautifully marbled wagyu cooked table-side in private tatami rooms. It's a splurge for a special occasion.
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Hyōgo · Casual Dining
An intimate soba-mae specialist in Kobe's Nakayamatedori district. It's known for hand-milled soba tasting sets that let you compare different buckwheat grinds, paired with an extensive sake list.
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Hyōgo · Izakaya
A celebrated izakaya in Amagasaki, known for exceptionally fresh, generously cut sashimi and rare seasonal fish. It's a destination for seafood lovers seeking high-quality ingredients prepared with simple, confident technique.
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Yamanashi · Casual Dining
ristorante koen (リストランテ コエン) is a sibling-run Italian restaurant in central Kofu, in the Takazen Building, 1st floor. People come for wood-fired pizzas topped with seasonal Yamanashi vegetables and a monthly dinner course.
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Tokyo · Izakaya
A famed izakaya in Hirai, Tokyo, known for its towering hot pots of premium seafood like cod milt and monkfish liver. Expect generous portions, strict house rules, and long queues for a unique and powerful umami experience.
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Nara · Casual Dining
A popular ramen shop in Nara, known for its rich and creamy chicken paitan broth balanced with fish dashi and a hint of yuzu. It's a family-friendly spot with ample parking, part of the well-regarded NOROMA group.
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Okinawa · Casual Dining
Nakijin Soba (今帰仁そば) serves Okinawa soba in a 70-year-old farmhouse in Nakijin, northern Okinawa, near Churaumi Aquarium. The draw is a slow-simmered broth, house-made noodles and brown-sugar pudding.
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Okinawa · Casual Dining
A butcher-run yakiniku restaurant in Maezato, on the western edge of Ishigaki, serving whole-carcass Ishigaki beef cut fresh daily. Go for the sell-out lunch hamburg or a dinner of fillet and offal at well below Tokyo prices.
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